Door latch structure



Dec. 22, 1942. H. w. RIGHTMYER noon LATCH STRUCTURE Fi led Feb. 15, 1941 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 22, 1942 2,306,188 DOOR LATCH STRUCTURE Holden W. Rightmyer, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The American Swiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application February 15, 1941, Serial No. 379,063

2 Claims. (01. 292 349) This invention relates to vehicle door latch structures particularly for latches for automobile doors equipped with roll-back means for retracting or rendering inefiective the latch bolt and in which particularly the roll-back means comprises the well-known scissors cam structure, in which the roll-back is made up of a pair of superposed An object of the invention is to improve the above roll-back structure to facilitate the application or mounting of the handle shaft by limiting or restricting the relative rotative movements between the roll-back parts.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile door latch with the inside operated remote control mechanism broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the two-part roll-back structure showing the handle shaft in action; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a case plate It] having a flange or selvage plate H apertured to receive the bolt nose I2, the rear end of which is connected by rivets I3 to the bolt plate M. The bolt plate I4 is guided by a stud I5 operating in a horizontally elongate slot IS in the bolt plate. A spiral spring l1 has one end anchored between ears l8 struck up from the case plate Ill andhas its opposite or free end bearing against the rear face of the bolt nose l2 for urging the bolt to latching position.

The latch bolt is retracted from the inside of the door by a remote control mechanism (not shown) from which leads a link is which has a stud at the inner end engaging in a horizontally elongate slot 2| in the bolt plate M. The slot 2| enables non-bolt retracting movement of the link l9 so that it may bemoved to the forward end of the slot for blocking movement of a bolt retracting element 22 which is pivotally mounted at 23. The bolt retracting element 22 is disposed beneath a cover plate 24 and has an arm 25 against which one end 26 bears for urging the pivoted element 22 in a clockwise direction. The opposite end of the spring 26 is anchored between ears 21 struck up from the case plate I. The element 22 also has 9. depending arm 28 which is engageable with a of a spiral spring mounting of shoulder 29 formed by folding inwardly a portion of the metal of the bolt plate M. It will thus be apparent that upon counterclockwise movement of the pivoted element 22, the arm 28 bearing against the shoulder 29 will operate to retract the bolt against the force of the spring I1. Another arm 3!] on the pivoted element 22 is disposed in a horizontal position beneath the slot 2| so that when the link I9 is moved forwardly or in a nonbolt retracting direction, the stud 20 will be disposed directly above the arm 39 thereby preventing or blocking counterclockwise movement of the bolt retracting element 22.

The bolt retracting element 22 is actuated by a roll-back 3| which is interposed between the case plate l0 and the cover late 24. The rollback 3| comprises a pair of arms 32 and 33 which are arranged in superposed relation. The arm 32 has an axial extension 34 which fits an opening 35 in the cover plate 24. The arm 33 has an axial annular extension 33a which fits into a similarly shaped recess on the opposite side of the arm 32 thereby afiording relative rotative movements between the two arms. Each of the arms 32 and 33 has a rectangular opening 36 to receive a handle shaft 3111 which s of such cross section as to fit the openings 36 n the arms 32 and 33 when the latter are in registration. The arm 33 has a horn-like extens on 31 and the arm 32 has an extension or finger 38 which extends generally in the same direction as the extension 31 on the arm 33.

In use, the lower edge portion of the extension 31 engages the rounded end portion of an arm 39 on the pivoted bolt retracting lement 22, the arm 39 being urged into engagement with the extension 31 by the coil spring 26. The upper edge of the finger 38 on the roll-back arm 32 is adapted to abut against a stop 40 which is struck from the cover plate 24. The stop 40 is formedby severing the metal along two parallel lines and then forcing it downwardly to a, substantially V form.

It will be apparent that prior to the insertion or mounting of the handle shaft 31a that unless some means is provided, the roll-back part 32 will drop downwardly or will swing about its pivot to a downward position, assuming that the latch mechanism is vertically disposed. Since the latch is normally mounted in upright position, the tendency will be for the roll-back part 32 to rotate so that the finger 38 hangs down. Manifestly this interferes with the convenient the handle shaft 310, it being first necessary to rotate the roll-back part 32 to the proper position so that the opening 36 in the arm 33 is in registration. This is a troublesome procedure particularly since these parts are disposed inside the door and can not be seen during the mounting of the handle. To overcome this objection, a small knob or projection 4| projects outwardly from an extension 42 of the roll-back arm 33 and an extension 43 on the roll-back arm 32 is adapted to abut against the stop or projection 4|, thereby limiting the relative rotative movement of the arm 32 in a clockwise direction with respect to the arm 33. This affords a slight relative counterclockwise movement between these parts but in such movement that the openings 36 in the arms are substantially out of registration. This simple device clearly facilitates the mounting of the handle shaft 31a and insures that the two parts .of the roll-back are in substantially the position desired for reception of the handle shaft'3la.

Manifestly, when the handle shaft is mounted in position of use, the pressure created by the spring 26 through the arm 39 to the :arm 31 tends to rock the arm 31 in a counterclockwise direction (Figure 2). Such movement tends to turn the handle shaft 31a likewise in a counterclockwise direction and thereby move the finger 38 on the roll-back arm 32 in a counterclockwise direction. However, the finger 38 as above mentioned, engages the stop 40 thereby limiting its counterclockwise movement. In this manner-it will be apparent that a scissors-like binding action is imposed upon the handle shaft 31a with the result that the handle shaft is securely held in position and rattles are eliminated.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and .op-

eration may be eifected without departing from x the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a door latch having a mounting and a spring tensioned latch bolt operating element, a roll-back having two sections arranged side by side provided with registering polygonal shaftreceiving openings with their axes horizontally disposed, a handle shaft polygonal in cross section to fit said openings, superposed arms on said sections with an edge of one arm offset relative to the adjacent edge of the other arm, a stop on the mounting engageable by the respective edge of one arm, said bolt operating element engaging the respective offset edge of the other arm and normally rocking both sections until said edge of the first arm engages said stop, and a stop on one section engageable by the other section for limiting the relative rotative movement between said sections in the direction urged by said latch operating element.

2. Ina door latch having a mounting and a spring tensioned latch bolt operating element, a roll-back having two sections arranged side by side provided with registering polygonal shaftreceiving openings with their axes horizontally disposed, a handle shaft polygonal in cross section to fit said openings, superposed arms on said sections with an edge of one arm offset relative to the adjacent edge of the other arm, one arm having a countersunk annular recess, an annular hub on the other arm fitting said recess and having bearing therein, thereby to retain both sections in the desired axial alignment, a stop on the mounting plate engageable by the respective edge of one arm, said bolt operating element engaging the respective offset edge of the other arm and normally rocking both sections until said edge of the first arm engages said stop, and a stop on one section engageable by the other section for limiting the relative rotative movement between said sections in the direction urged by said latch operating element.

HOLDEN W. RIGHTMYER. 

